Officials: Project announcement delayed but still on track

Published: Wednesday, August 7, 2013 at 03:37 PM.

In June, county leaders approved plans to offer tax incentives to a company planning to bring nearly 100 new jobs to the Shelby area.

At that time, commissioners said the company and its plans would be announced in July.

Those plans have been slower coming together than expected, interim county manager David Dear told The Star this week. But the jobs are still coming to Cleveland County, he said.

“It is a still a work in progress, and we expect to make announcements within the next 30 days,” Dear said.

The economic development project, referred to as Project Gnome until an official announcement is made, involves a Kentucky-based company that plans to bring an initial economic investment of about $4.9 million and 94 jobs to the county.

The name of the company has not yet been released.

The incentive agreement county leaders approved in June includes buildings and the installation of equipment that will be part of the overall $4.9 million investment, according to county documents obtained by The Star.

In June, county leaders approved plans to offer tax incentives to a company planning to bring nearly 100 new jobs to the Shelby area.

At that time, commissioners said the company and its plans would be announced in July.

Those plans have been slower coming together than expected, interim county manager David Dear told The Star this week. But the jobs are still coming to Cleveland County, he said.

“It is a still a work in progress, and we expect to make announcements within the next 30 days,” Dear said.

The economic development project, referred to as Project Gnome until an official announcement is made, involves a Kentucky-based company that plans to bring an initial economic investment of about $4.9 million and 94 jobs to the county.

The name of the company has not yet been released.

The incentive agreement county leaders approved in June includes buildings and the installation of equipment that will be part of the overall $4.9 million investment, according to county documents obtained by The Star.

In exchange for the jobs and investments, the county plans to offer financial incentives to the company by giving them a 60-percent discount on property taxes for its first five years of operation.

The county has been working with the Kentucky company for about a year now on plans for the new location, Dear said.

The new business plans to locate in an industrial park south of Shelby on N.C. 180.

The average annual salary for the jobs will be $21,000 a year, Dear said. The average Cleveland County wage is about $32,000.